El Diablo
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Never let a job become personal. That's the rule of a bounty hunter. Spanning entire universes and galaxies, his work gives him a sense of fufillment. However, what happens when he breaks this cardinal rule? MAJOR Anime crossovers! VOTE FOR THE PAIRING!
1. Base

Empty.

I have little reason to live nowadays.

What do I do, you ask?

I'm a killer for hire.

My name, you ask?

I don't use it.

But...I do go by one title nowadays.

_El Diablo._

The demon.

--

Quiet.

It was so...

Quiet.

He stared at the paper in his hands, nostalgic memories washing over him in a torrent of happiness, sorrow, and anger. It was actually a bingo book he'd pilfered off a now deceased shinobi. His name was written within it, along with a hefty bounty. "Triple S class, huh? Why am I not surprised...

A fluttering sound drew his attention, and as if sensing the raven's prescence, he pocketed the book, and held out a gloved hand.

"Come here."

With a silent flap of its ebony black wings, the bird landed upon its master's arm, its talon's digging deeply into the padded fabric that protected his wrist. Sharp, violet eyes shone from its skull, reflecting keen intelligence.

Cawing softly, it opened its mouth, clearly demanding food.

"Ah, ah." The man wagged a finger at the bird. "First, the goods. Then you can eat."

With an indignant sqwuak, the bird shook its head back and forth.

"Fine then." He shrugged. "You can go hungry."

"Caw!" It gave him an angry glare, one he calmly returned, blue eyes reflecting in the light of the full moon, even though his visage was safely hidden within the confines of his cowl. At last it relented, and held out its left leg, where a small scroll had been tied.

Untying the knot, the man read its contents, and then placed it upon the ground.

A transparent, static image appeared before him, and immediately, he went to one knee.

"I see you've made it here in one piece. Well done."

"..." He did not answer.

"Do what must be done." The figure itself could not be seen, but its voice was clearly that of a female, in her early twenties, with tan skin and blond hair. "You are not to hesitate, and you will show no mercy to the enemy. Capture the target alive, but kill all who get in your way. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, mistress." The man nodded, his head kept down, as if in reverence. "I hear and obey."

"Good." The image began to fade, and then it was gone entirely. "I expect good results."

The dark figure waited for a moment, before at last he rose, taking the scroll away within the folds of his robe. Gathering strength, he prepared himself to spring. At last, with a mighty rush of air, he leapt over the gates, black cloak swirling in the wind behind him.

The face hidden within the cowl frowned to himself, for he was expected. No sooner had he hit the ground, rolled, come up into a crouch....

Than five kunai were held to his neck.

"You there!" The guards snarled. "You've come here for the last time-

"CAW!" From out of the pitch black night, the raven swept in to harass the guardsman, pecking relentlessly at his face, raking its sharp, deadly talons across the length of his nose. _'Now!' _Sensing his chance, the stranger seized the knife arm of the guard, threw him over his shoulder, and with a silent swish buried his own kunai deep within the chest cavity of his unfortunate victim.

His companions lurched back a step, mouth'sopen in a silent scream, but they too, soon met a similair fate. The second met with a sword through the gut, falling bonelessly to the ground. The last three realized too late that they would be given no quarter, but by then, the man had already turned on them, lashing out to seize one by the throat, and kicking another with such force, that all the bone's in his chest shattered.

Dropping the now throatless guard, the assasin turned his attention the last guard, a female with long dark hair. She tried to keep her distance, throwing a hail of senbon his way, but within seconds, she too was pinned upon the ground. Her eyes, hidden by the anbu mask, showed no fear, yet he hesitated to finish her. Something stayed his hand for a moment.

"You!" She breathed, recognizing the assailant at last. "But you're-

His moment of hesitation nearly cost him his life, but at the last second, the raven shrieked, alerting him to the knife in her hand. Thusly, he was able to silence her at the last second, with a quick, painless chop to the the bodies in a nearby alleyway, the intruder checked to make sure they were out of sight, before whistling to the raven, who now took a perch upon his shoulder.

"Good girl." He cooed, patting the fowl once upon the head, ruffling its feathers.

She gave him an annoyed glare, as if to say 'Cut it out'.

darted through the streets, an invisible blur to all but the most honed eye.

Its target was...

--

With the trained reflexes he had relied upon for years now, he dismantled the lock. The raven released his shoulder, and took its place upon the nearby railing, acting as a lookout, should anyone happen to stop by.

"You know what to do?"

The raven nodded an affirmative.

Like a thief in the night, he entered the house, sneaking through the shadows, avoiding conflict whenever he could, but mercilessly slaughtering when he could not avoid bloodshed. At last, he found what he sought, an ornate door that led to a seperate room within the mansion.

A loud creak, coming from one of the floorboards, made the man stiffen. He whirled around, weapon drawn-

And froze as he saw her.

A flash of memory rushed over him.

_(One year ago)_

"W-What're you doing here?!" She sputtered, jumping back half a pace as he pulled down the hood he wore. He had changed since they'd last seen each other, but there was no mistaking his identity.

Needless to say, she was startled by his sudden appearance after spending so much time in the world of the living, and had quite a few questions for him. "When did you-mmph!" Before she could finish her sentence, he violently _crushed_ his lips against hers, releasing a flood of tension, stifling further protest as she gave in to him, pressed up against the furthest wall when at last they pulled apart.

"Wha-She began...

"Be quiet." He muttered, breaking the kiss, breath cold upon her face whilst he placed a finger across her lips. "You _need_ to be _quiet_."

She managed a nod, biting her lip in dread for his hands now ran down her body with slow and careful precision.

"I have to tell you something."

They stopped when they reached her stomach, then ran over her belly, _very_ slowly.

After an unbearable silence, he looked her square in the eye.

"How long." It wasn't a question.

"A...A month now." She finally mumbled. "They'll notice at this rate."

"Kami," He muttered, slapping one hand against the wall. "You're pregnant. I can't believe this....

"Sorry." She muttered sadly. "I shouldn't have pushed for it-

"Don't be." He shook his head, kissing her chastely upon the lips, with such tenderness, that her heart nearly stopped right then and there. "You have nothing to be sorry about." His visits were becoming more and more infrequent, but it was a sad necessity that they both had to deal with. "But damn, how're we going to handle this...

"He went this way!" The sound of footsteps broke the moment.

"I have to go."

He pullled his face away, hiding it within the cowl once more.

"Hy."

He paused, looking over his shoulder.

"You'll....come back, right?"

The flash of a sad smile could be seen within the hood.

"I don't know when I'll have the time to sneak away. Will you wait for me?"

She nodded, smiling softly.

"Forever."

He stared at her longingly, but finally tore his gaze away, and leapt out the window, into the night.

_(End flashback)_

But no, this was not her, this was not she.

She...

Was dead.

"W-Who're you?" The girl stammered fearfully.

"Naruto." He replied simply, though the name sounded hollow, empty, coming from his lips.

She took a step back, in fear. "W-What do you want with me?"

"Not another word." He had her pinned against the wall, cold, heartless blue peering into startled silver. His words held no emotion, no amusement, nothing. This was a job, and nothing more, just something to put food on the table for himself. "You have no freedom. I am giving you an order."

He didn't question who his clientelle was, so long as they paid half up front, and the other half, when, not if, he completed his assignment. He always finished a job, that was the one thing he prided himself on nowadays.

Back to the task at hand.

He was wasting time.

"Come with me, girl." He ordered. "That is, unless you want me to kill everyone you hold dear?"

_--_

_(Throne room)_

"Well done."

A small pouch of gold was tossed at him, caught easily from the air by his hand.

"Yeah, whatever. Just tell Grimmjow not to lose his arm again."

He turned to go, but hadn't gone more than five steps before the man upon the throne spoke again.

"Oh, and Naruto?"

"What?" He refused to turn around.

"Perhaps you'd like a greater reward?"

He and the raven exchanged a glance.

Intrigued, but more irritated than anything else, they turned around as one.

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

"You have no allegiance to either Soul Society or myself during this war, yet you _are_ a vizard." He began, descending the steps with slow, careful precision, yet his eyes never left their mark. "And for some mysterious reason, you also seem immune to the effects of my zanpaktou, Kyouka Suigetsu." Brown eyes narrowed slightly as their owner approached the blond. "As you can see, that'd be a slight problem, were you ever to... switch sides."

"Spit it out already." Sighed the jinchuuriki.

"How dare you!" The black man with dreadlocks, whose name he had not bothered to remember, now seemed quite irked. "Show some respect to your superiors!"

"Superior?" The blond spat back gesturing to those present, "Bullshit! I'm not one of your servants! I'm not even affiliated with you weaklings!"

"Perhaps that would interest you then?" The other continued.

"What, so you're offering us _power_ in exchange for our loyalty?" Snorted the bounty hunter, with the raven shaking its head in agreement. "Sorry Aizen, but we'll have to pass on your little offer." He tossed the sack of money up and down, as if to gauge its weight. "Besides, allying ourselves with one side is bad for business."

"That's a no, then?"

The raven surprised everyone, aside from Naruto of course, by adding her own opinion.

"Pretty much."

"Are you certain?" Brown eyes narrowed slightly as Aizen asked them again. "What if we were to pay the two of you for your...services?"

"No thanks. This is one job I'd rather not take." The blond waved a hand behind his back as they left, clearly ignoring everything that had just been said. "We won't spill any secrets or take any missions to kill ya though. Gotta protect customer confidentiality and all."

Moments later, the door slammed behind them.

--

"How long are you going to stay like that?" He asked once they were clear of las noches and Hueco Muendo, and back at their residence in the living world, which was much more than an abandoned mansion, and sported all kinds of electric surveilance equiptment and the like. "You've stayed in that form for at least a year now."

The raven gave him an inquisitive look.

"Don't play dumb with me." He grumbled darkly, flopping down on the couch. "C'mon, change back already." Sighing, he flicked on the television, and began to thumb through the channesl. "We've got another job in about an hour, and I can tell you're bushed."

"Fine," She sighed, fluttering off his shoulder to land on the nearby perch he'd set up for her. "But go into the other room first."

"Why?"

"Because I said so!" The bird cawed loudly, flapping her wings at him violently. "If I'm returning to my normal body then I need to get changed in privacy!"

"Yeesh, fine, fine." The blond grumbled, picking himself up off the couch...

**VOTE FOR PAIRING! Next time: Cruelty breeds kindness. Flashbacks of the past...**


	2. Forceful

"Alright, you can come in now." Her voice called to him from across the den, and with a long sigh, he finished draining the soda. Taking another one from the fridge, he waited a few more seconds, just to be on the safe side.

"There. I'm decent."

"Bout damn time." He grumbled, stepping over a generator, then flopping down onto the couch.

"Naruto."

He didn't open an eye, but a small smirk tugged at his lips when a shadow fell over him.

"Oi, you're blocking the T.V."

"Your eyes are closed." The voice replied.

"So?" He yawned. "You're still blocking the view."

She rolled her eyes, chanted an incantaion...

Less than a second later, a nearby box bulleted across the room to smack him across the head.

Hard.

"Ow." He winced, opening an eye. "Alright, _alright_...

She'd grown an inch or two since he'd last seen her in human form. Clad as always in a black leotard with that chain belt worn around her waist, the dark well as a blue cloak, with boots of the same color. Yeah, her fashion style hadn't changed any. Instead of having normal pigment coloration, she still had light gray skin, violet-blue eyes but her shoulder-length violet-blue hair had grown a bit, now perfectly framing the corners of her face.

"I see your favorite color hasn't changed, Raven."

A black colored energy wrapped around his chest, and with a flick of her wrist, he was pinned against the wall.

"Neither has your brain." She countered.

"Well well, this is nostalgic, isn't it?" He arched an eyebrow up at her as she stood over him.

A faint blush tinged her pale skin.

With a muttered incantation, she released him.

"Shut up."

--

_(Flashback/last year)_

A weary eighteen year old Naruto stared lifelessly at the grave of his beloved, the tombstone with her name, and the name of their unborn child, painstakingly carved into the granite. His hands, raw and bleeding, were torn and ravaged from digging the grave with his bare hands, but his eyes were red from tears, stains of painful misery. For a moment, he said nothing, then at last turned to empty, shimmering air behind him.

As if on cue, a figure, that of a young girl, not much younger than he, rose from the shadows.

"You've been standing here for at least an hour now."

"Raven...why are you here for me like this?" he asked her at last, when the rain had stopped falling. She'd been there for quite some time now, but he hadn't really noticed her until just now. "I...killed you, but you didn't die. Why didn't you let me die?"

"..." The girl looked away.

" I asked you a question, so answer me, damnit!" He bellowed seizing her by the collar, slamming her against the tree, furious crimson slits boring into her very soul! For a moment, it looked as if he was actually going to do it, but with a great effort, he restrained himself. "Just who the hell are you?!"

She sighed, fully expecting the question.

"A monster."

"What?" He blinked, eyes returning to blue as he released her. "A monster?" Turning away, she told him all about Trigon, Azarath, Arella, her emotion-supression training to keep Trigon from posessing her, even now, running away to find a place were no one would get hurt by Trigon, making her into a portal, the end of the world....

Everything.

"So... you're half-demon?" He asked at last, turning away to sigh moments later. "Jeez, no wonder you didn't die."

Raven looked away.

Ashamed of the fact.

Until he spoke.

"Well...so what?"

Raven went wide-eyed as she turned her attention back to Naruto.

"What?" she almost whipsered.

"I didn't want to be what I am." He replied, running a hand through the soaked bangs of his damp hair. "And neither did you. But...we have these gifts anyway, like it or not." Gathering up his things, he waved a hand, and the rest of the dirt fell into place around the grave, burrying his beloved forever.

"I've seen what you are." The counter was harsh and biting, cold as steel. "You kill, yet you cry for your victims, pay your respects to their families, even if they were your most hated foes. That not something a bounty hunter does."

"I've taken a lot of bounties," He began slowly, "I even worked for Trigon once, when I was just starting out. Trust me," He fixed her with a stern glare and she shivered under the intensity of his gaze. "As much as he wishes it were so, you're not what he made you. He's not even a father. You _are_ you, Raven, your not the sum of what he did or anything." People can't be blamed for things outside of they're control like. You, are good, he's evil."

"And what does that make you?" She replied harshly, bitterly. "You kill for a living."

"I...really wish I knew." Came the uncertain reply. "A freak accident maybe, or worse. Good, evil, I know I'm neither one. There's a million governments that'd pay to have me on an operating table, and I can't even _count_ the guys who'd love to have my head hanging on their mantle."

"That still doesn't explain why you're a bounty hunter."

"Does it explain why you're a heroine? Does it explain why you save the lives of those who hate and scorn you?"

She bit her lip and glanced to the side, recognizing the cold truth of his words.

"The way I see it," He sighed, strapping on his sword belt, holstering his pistols, and slipping on his cloak, "You _chose_ to be who you are, to be a good person, that wasn't something that you did acording to Trigon's will. Me, I chose to kill for a living, but only because I have to. Heh, if I was a year younger, I'd say 'to hell with the whole thing!' and go crazy!" Naruto said this last part with a bitter laugh.

A moment of silence hung in the air, eclipsed by a peal of thunder, and the occasional flash of lightning.

"Fine then." He gave one last ragged sigh, then nodded, as if to himself. "I can't just leave you here, after all, it wouldn't be very proffessional of me." He gave a longing glance to the grave, then jerked it away. "For some reason, Ino gave her life, so you'd live. I have to respect that. Plus, I saw your skilsl firsthand, and you nearly killed me, so...

He extended a hand to her.

"What're you doing?" She stared at him in confusion

"Whaddya say...partners'?"

"What?"

"Well," He shrugged, but it was difficult to perform such a carefree gesture. "It's just that we have a better chance of surviving if we stick together, so-

Raven abruptly seized his hand, pulled him forward, and much to his surprise, hugged him fiercely, as though afraid he'd disappear."Partner." Too stunned for words, he just stood there for a moment, before at last, he shakily brought his arms around to loosely embrace her.

They left only when the sun poked through the clouds, and the sound of thunder faded.

Beep!

Naruto broke the hold, and looked down at his wrist, where a small holoviewer was inserted into his glove.

"Well...duity calls, time to earn our pay." Naruto said, looking back at her, then past her, to a worn, broken down freighter, the only remaining ship on this god forsaken planet, after the intense orbital barrage. Fishing out a key, the bounty hunter asked her the most obvious question on his mind. "You want the shotgun seat?"

Raven looked over at him....and smirked as she snatched the ignition key away from him.

"No thanks. _I'll_ drive this time."

_(End Flashback)_

--

_Naruto, Raven, I have your next assignments'. _The static image reappeared from the scroll, interrupting them.

"We already have a mission." Raven replied, flipping to the next page in her book as she lounged on the opposite side of the couch. "We have to guard some chancellor's daughter or something."

_This one takes precedence. _Insisted their leader._ It also has a significantly higher bounty as opposed to the previous assignment,_

"So, who is it this time?" Naruto looked up from polishing a thin metal tube, then clipped said tube to his belt. "Another hit and run?"

_No, _Replied the female voice in an amused tone. _Raven's mission requires a certain finese, while your mission is much more shoot first, ask questions later._

"Whoa whoa. Hold up there." The jinchuuriki shook his head rapidly, eyes furrowing as a scowl marred his face. "No way boss. You know the deal we set up. Raven and I _always_ do missions _together_. We're a team. Not seperate."

_Then you will be unable to complete this mission. _Came the stern reply, as calm emerald green eyes bored into infuriated cerulean._ The client has specifically requested your services Naruto, while the other desires the use of Raven's own unique talents._

"Wait, are these two clients in competition with each other?" Raven stole the words right from his mouth before he could even form them, and he shot her an annoyed glare in response to this. The telekinetic simply shrugged in response. "If so, then we can't take the bounty."

_No, the two individuals do not even know each other. _Came the reply._ In fact, they are in entirely seperate galaxies altogether._

"Alright, so who are they?"

A detailed script flowed past their eyes.

_Samus Aran, requesting the assistance of Raven, in eliminating space pirates and retrieving stolen phazon. Respond immediately._

_Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, requesting the aid of specialized personnell to assist Jedi in putting down a rebellion on Ryloth. Respond immediately._

"Ryloth?"

He failed to notice the slight twitch of Raven's eye at the mention of _that_ planet.

"The hell?" He peered closer at the image. "What happened there? Another drug lord got too greedy?"

_You forget, many universes overlap one another. _The voice chided him. _This planet that the client refers to, is an entirely different one than what you are familair to. It is no quite in the future, but neither is it in the past. Rather..._

"An alternate universe." The blond groaned, slamming his skull against the bulkhead in frustration. "Damnit, I _hate_ those."

_Then take a look at the bounty._

The reward had so many zero's, that he lost track after twenty one.

_'Holy-_

"Well?" He shot Raven a questioning look. "Its a pretty big paycheck, but I don't think we should-

"Fine, whatever." She huffed, suddenly intensely angry, though she knew not why and neither did he for that matter. "If you want to go that badly, I'll open a portal for you to get there. Just make it quick. By the way, you'll have to find your own way back after an hour."

With a snap of her fingers, a whirling expanse of light opened up to him.

"Um...sure." He slapped on the neccesary equiptment, then slid the manipulation gauntlet over his fingertips. Inserting his hand into the light, his hand grasped at something solid, and by twisting his wrist to the side, the dimensional gateway opened for him. "Just be careful, alright?"

"Tch." She refused to look at him until he stepped through.

"Moron."

--

(Elsewhere)

A dull humming sound drew the hunters' attention. A computerized voice resonated from the map display

_We have located the targets,master._

"Location?" A deep voice asked the computer.

_Currently in the milky way galaxy, on a planet called Earth._

"Good." A silky female voice replied. "We finally found them."

--

A dull explosion assaulted his ears the moment he stepped through the abyss. The air was thin and dusty, difficult to breathe in. And it was then that he realized he'd warped to the wrong side of the battlefield. Yes, that much was glaringly obvious, what with all the battle droids and the blasters pointed at his head.

Behind the mask, he paled.

"Put down your weapons!" He pushed at them with his mind, but they didn't budge.

"Ah shit. I forgot that trick didn't work on you tin cans." He grumbled to himself, realizing too late his mistake.

_"Fire!"_

"No way in hell!"

Raising a hand, a wall of energy erupted from his being, throwing the weapons fire away from him, and reflecting it back from whence it came, felling several in one shot. But before the next volley could come, the blond pointed one finger outward.

A wall of red light erupted from the digit, incinerating some droids, and then picking up the rest bots, heaving them across the battlefield like rag dolls. The reamining forces now turned their attention to to him, weapons drawn.

_"Kill the jedi!"_

A flick of his wrist, then he'd drawn his current weapon of choice, what looked to be little more than a thin metal tube, the one he'd been cleaning before. "Jedi? The hell is that?!"Smirking, he squeezed what looked like a trigger embedded in its hilt.

With a distinctive snap hiss, a thin ray of orange light sprang forth from the tube.

The droids did not feel fear, but they still regarded the sight with dread.

"All that matters is you're dead!"

--

"General Kenobi!" A clone trooper ran up to the command post, and saluted a man who not only looked entirely out of place for this battle, but was unmistakably an important figure nonetheless, judging by the respect in the trooper's tone.

"What seems to be the problem trooper?" On the surface the man looked calm enough, but on the inside, his mind was in turmoil. Not only was this battle becoming a complete rout, but the odds were entirely against them. Outnumbered and outgunned couldn't even _begin_ to cover it.

"Sir...I think you should take a look at this!" An arc trooper, distinguished by the red markings upon his armor, now ran up behind the first, and handed Kenobi a set of macro binoculars. Putting his eyes to the frame, the master was unable to tear his eyes away from the sight that lay before him. What he saw, was a young man, wearing a human skull mask.

And that young man, was effortlessly...

Slaughtering the Seperatists.

In his hands, a flowing, savage blur, was a _lightsaber_.

A fellow Jedi?

"Just who _is_ that?" The master muttered to himself as he watched the blond youth relentlessly leap from one target to the next, now force lifting a tank, only to heave it into a nearby droid starfighter, which had come down for a strafing run. No sooner had the two met in an explosion, then he moved onto his next mark, force crushing a destroyer droid into scrap metal, seemingly heedless of the bubble shield in place around it. "I don't remember requesting reinforcements from the council....

This was no mere padawan. This youth fought with the savagery of a berserker, yet his control over the force was near effortless, and even from here, Obi-Wan could feel the blond dipping into the energy constantly, yet there was no hate nor malice within him.

The youth now sprinted over to a nearby clone trooper, helped him to his feet, and made an elaborate hand gesture. Moments later, a Super battle droid fell, its withered husk spitting sparks from the intense force lightning that cooked its circuits. The soldier took one look at the droid, seemed to realize this one was on his side, and nodded. He took up a flanking position behind the hunter, providing covering fire as he warded off any stray blaster bolts, returning them back from whence they came.

"I don't know sir, but whoever it is, he seems to be on our side!" There was no mistaking the pride in the trooper's voice, as the masked fighter gathered more and more soldiers to him. The tide had taken an abrupt turn, and those remaining soldiers on the battlefield now fought with an almost fearless fervor, a courage that cold, heartless steel simply could not hope to match.

"Take a look at that! He's pushing the Sep's back!"

Indeed, the droids pulled back for a moment just then, and at last, Kenobi was able to come to his senses.

"Open a comlink with him."

"Sir!"

An image appeared onscreen, but the skulled face didn't so much as glance at him.

_'I'm busy at the moment.'_

"I haven't seen your face before."

_'That's why I wear my mask.'_

"Did the council send you?"

_'No, Palpatine did. And you talk too much. I'm just collecting a bounty.'_

_Palpatine?_

That changed things.

"You're a bounty hunter?"

_'Yeah,' _At last, the man turned to face him._ 'And those heaps of scrap metal got in my way.'_

A dull rumbling alerted them to the enemy.

For some reason, tens of thousands of droids had now decided to just run headlong at them.

Pumping one hand forward, an immense force surge rushed from the man's palm, and the wave of charging battle droids were pushed flat, trampled into the dust. Muttering under his breath, Obi-wan threw off his cloak and headed into battle, crossing the distance between them in leaps and bounds. Thusly, it wasn't long before he'd caught up with the wayward hunter.

_Honestly, he's just like Anakin..._

Clenching his hand into a fist now, a good number of the battle droids folded inward on themselves with an agonizing shriek of metal, but the effort drained him, and his shoulders sagged in response.

As if in response to _that_, the blond again pointed a finger towards the Seperatists.

Red light gathered at the tip of his index finger, forming a sphere roughly the size of a soccer ball. The enemy was closing fast, heedless of their own demise, but that suited him just fine. It felt good to let loose like this, especially against an enemy that didn't feel any pain. "I suggest you duck."

_"Get down!"_ Kenobi shouted, but no sooner had the clones dropped flat to the earth, then a hail of red blasts struck down the front line of the enemy, creating a massive dome of red light, searing the enemy's circuits, and obliterating them in the blink of an eye.

And just like that, it was over. All that remained of the enemy base was a smoking crater.

The clones let up a rousing cheer!

"Satisfied?" Naruto turned to Kenobi, removed his mask, which seemed to vanish as he slid it to the side of his face. "Now you know what I look like. But really," He cast a glance around at the destruction he'd wrought, and quite frankly, it sickened him. "I'm surprised I had to do this much just to finish them, though. Why would anyone want _this_ planet anyway?"

"This planet is valued for its raw materials, among other things." Obi-Wan replied at last.

The bounty hunter shrugged, extinguished the lightsaber, and clipped it to his belt. "Oh well, none of my business anyway."

He now extended a hand.

"Now pay up, and I'll be gone."

--

(Back at base)

"So, the mission went well?" He looked up from the gadget he was working on, as the automatic door slid open. An exhausted Raven sat down on the opposite end of the couch, smelling like she was badly in need of a shower and after dealing with space pirates' that probably was the case.

"Well enough." He replied quietly, going back to work on the device.

"When's the next mission."

"Beats me. Whenever we get the call."

A moment of silence.

"Tired?"

"Exhausted." She replied, crinkling her nose in distaste after a moment. "Ugh, _you_ smell...

"Shaddap." He grumbled, rolling the small sphere over in his hands. "I didn't ask your opinion."

There was a moment of silence as she fiddled with the remote, then.

"Hey...Naruto."

"What?" He looked up, slightly annoyed.

....Sorry....about before."

"Forget about it." He replied. "I didn't really understand why you were angry in the first place."

"We've been partners for a year right? That's why I-"

"I don't like seperate missions either." He cut in abruptly. "I can't trust anyone beside you to have my back."

He took the words right out of her mouth.

_'Wow.' _she thought to herself._ That went well.'_

"Oh, by the way, I got you something with the money I earned."

"Huh?"

"Here."

A book with a dark cover landed in her lap.

"You still like those dark poems, right?"

A small smile traced her lips.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Really, I can't let word get out that I'm such a softie."

A clever idea abruptly entered her head, and after toying with it for awhile, she decided to give it a go.

"Oh? So you're a softie, hmm?" She arched an eyebrow, flicked a finger, and a nearby pillow jumped into the air, hovering a centimeter from his face. "Then this should be _very_ soft."

Blue eyes narrowed as he too reached for a cushion.

"Wait a sec-

"Too late."

And so the pillow fight began.

--

(Next time) **Trapped!**

"Guard duty? For a cargo ship?"

"That's what is says." Raven tapped at the hologram, and it scrolled down. "Hmm, we'll be working with Samus on this one. If she's already enroute, then it shouldn't be too bad, I guess."

"Location?"

"Britania."

"Who's the client?"

"Anonymous. It doesn't say."

"And why," He slipped on his mask, drew tight the hood of his cloak, "do I feel like this is a trap all over again?"

"We've walked into traps before."

"Yeah," He countered, strapping on his armor and weapons, then slipping on robes over it for the sake of stealth. "But we were younger, and they didn't know what to expect from us then." A great feeling of dread coiled within his soul as they entered the hatchway.

"Now they do."

_'So we're only nineteen, big deal. _Raven thought to herself._ Maybe a year's worth of experience will make a difference this time around..._

"Should you bring it, then?" The gothic girl eyed the small sphere held in his hand. "If its a cargo ship, we'll be walking right into a firefight."

He gave her a shark-toothed grin.

"Meh, might as well, it needs a field test."

"You, _are crazy_." She sighed. "Sometimes I wonder why I even work with you at all...

He laughed.

"It gets the job done."

**And by the way, Naruto and Raven won't be going back to the Star Wars universe for awhile. This was just an excuse to show off his power. And yes, as a bounty hunter, he'll be entering many different anime universes. Hence the MAJOR crossover part. Care to gues where they're going next? I think its quite obvious. Vote on the poll for the pairing please!**


	3. Confusion

"Gah!" He cried, as the latest pillow in Raven's barrage smacked him across the face, creating a dull thwack. Two more were quick to follow, one in the chest, another hit him square in the neck, with the last flipping him clear off the sofa, into the air, with his legs sticking in the air as he landed with a heavy crash...

With the couch flipping to land squarely upon his face.

When he didn't get right back up to continue their little war, Raven began to worry a bit.

"Naruto?"

He wasn't moving.

Dread coiling in her stomach, she approached him, and with a wave of her hand, picked up the couch, setting it to the other side.

Maybe she'd hit him too hard...

"Hey, c'mon now." She shook him lightly, but still there was no response, and neither was he breathing. Was it just her, or did he look too pale all of a sudden, was his neck supposed to be at that angle? That small trickle of fear, abruptly erupted into a torrent of panic, drowning out all sense of self. "Naruto! Na-ru-to! This isn't funny anymore! Quit it!"

Had she not been so fixated on his lack of air...

She _might have_ noticed the way his hand suddenly twitched.

"Gotcha!" He declared, eyes snapping open so suddenly, that she froze for a split second, her mind unable to process what was occuring. Too late, he seized her by the hips and pulled her down. "Now, its payback time!" Scowling, her eyes flared red for a moment, but then he moved his hands, hers lip began to tremble, and... she couldn't help it.

Laughter spilled out of her lips, a surprisingly normal sound, for someone like her.

"AH! Stop, stop!"

Moments later, Raven was giggling, then laughing uncontrollably, hysterically, whilst he tickled her without mercy.

"Say it!"

_"Never!"_ She snapped fiercely, and seconds later, as her eyes flared red, he realized he'd made a _big_ mistake. "Now....GET OFF!"

That, and a wall of psychic energy throwing him halfway across the room made it perfectly clear that Raven did NOT like being tickled.

The fortress itself soon shook this way and that as the two threw wall after wall of energy at each other, their little game, getting far out of hand. More than just pillows were thrown now, entire pieces of furniture, tables, chairs and the like, were being heaved about like they weighed no more than an ounce.

At last, vaulting over an airborne desk, Naruto tackled her by the waist, sending the two of them rolling across the floor. When at last their momentum stopped, he had her pinned on the floor, but so to did she, for during their little struggle, she'd tangled his legs up in hers, preventing him from either sittingforward or stepping back. Yet _he_ had her by the wrists, his arms spread out, preventing her from struggling, or using her hands for any more spells.

As one, they seemed to realize the awkward position they'd landed in, but neither seemed to be willing to admit that.

Moisture beaded down from his brow, and he idly noticed that she too was covered in a fine sheet of sweat from all that wrestling they'd just gone through. After a moment of heavy breathing, he managed to gasp out a reply.

"Give up?" He scowled down at her, clearly just as exhausted as she was, his face mere _inches_ from her own. "Bite me." She spit back at him, gasping for air, and he could tell by the spark in her eyes, she was just _itching _for a chance to slam him into the nearby wall once her strength returned. But then her gaze traveled to his, for just a second, and flickered down to his lips. Briefly, his eyes darted down to her chest, taking in how her breasts rose and fell while her lungs greedily gulped down air.

A faint blush rose to her cheeks.

"Q-Quit it. Stop staring at me like that."

"Yeah, sure...

He looked away, or rather, he _tried_ to, but his body did the exact opposite, and he found himself leaning forward...

Much to her dismay, Raven tipped her head forward, lips parting as they closed the distance...

BRRRRING!

The beeping of the comm system saved them, jolting the two apart like lightning.

"I-I guess we should get that...Her face was burning red.

What was that just now?

At that moment, they shared one thought.

_'The hell? Its just Raven/Naruto! We're partners for crying out loud! Why did I almost-Why did I want to-_

"S-Sure." Mentally berating himself for what he'd almost done, the blond picked himself up, and activated the comm...

--

"Guard duty? For a cargo ship?" Naruto looked over his shoulder whilst he set down the sofa. Obviously, he was trying his best not to look at her again, lest his eyes wander inexpicably, as they had before. After that little incident, he felt dirty just by glancing at her.

"That's what it says." Raven tapped at the hologram, bringing up a detailed list, and then scrolled down, trying valiantly to keep her tone from wavering, but she was obviously just as shaken by the 'incident'. "Hmm, we'll be w-working with Samus on this one. If she's already enroute, then it shouldn't be too bad, I guess."

"Location?"

"Britania."

"Who's the client?"

"Anonymous." They exchanged a glance, looked away just as quickly. "It doesn't say."

"And why," He slipped on his mask, drew tight the hood of his cloak, "do I feel like this is a trap all over again?"

"We've walked into traps before." Raven grumbled, throwing up the hood of her own cloak, hiding her face within its shadow once more. "It's nothing... we can't handle."

"Yeah," He countered with a deadpanned glare, suiting up as well, strapping on his armor and weapons, then slipping on his robes over top it. "But we were younger, new to the game, and they didn't know what to expect from us then." A great feeling of dread coiled within his soul as they entered the hatchway.

"Now they do."

_'So we're only nineteen, big deal. _Raven thought to herself in mild annoyance._ Maybe a year's worth of experience will make a difference this time around..._

And a year's worth of hormones screwing with their minds?

_Great._

"Hold on a sec." He darted back to the kitchen table, and came back with a small orb, red lights pulsating along its length, then another, what looked like a rounded sapphire, held within his left hand.

Violet grey eyes widened slightly at the sight of them.

"What?"

"N-Nothing!"

"..."

He kept glaring at her, until she caved.

"Should you really bring _it_, then?" The gothic girl sighed at last, eyeing the small sphere held in his hand warily, but so much as the crystal he held. "If its a cargo ship, we'll be walking right into a firefight. And taking out a knightmare without it nearly killed you last time, remember?"

He grimaced, and looked away.

Their first mission together nearly _did_ kill him. That, was when he learned the hard way, that tossing a tank into a ship was _not the same_ as tossing a fifty ton mech that weighed easily ten times or more, and _especially_ when said mech was controlled by a skilled pilot.

Needless to say, it'd been an abject failure.

He now gave her a shark-toothed grin, hefting the device much like one would a baseball.

"Meh, might as well, the Gawain needs a field test. This time, we'll be ready for any... _surprises_."

_Except THAT one. _They blushed inwardly at the thought of it.

"You, _are crazy_." Raven sighed after a bit, shaking her head from side to side, a welcome sense of semi-normalcy returning to her _at_ _last_. "Taking something like that along, without even working out the bugs...Sometimes I wonder why I even work with you at all...

He laughed as the portal swirled and spiraled before them, tearing open the gateway between worlds. "I could say the same for you...but," What now awaited them was the view of a sparkling sea, lined against the coast of a shipping port, from which many ships came and went, both by air and sea.

"It gets the job done."

--

A cool breeze greeted them as they stepped onto the dock, accompanied by the salty scent of the sea air. Seagulls flew overhead, filling the air with their cries, further adding to the natural din of foghorns and the like.

A sigh escaped his lips from behind the mask, distorting his voice.

"Nothing like the ocean to soothe your soul, eh?"

Rolling her eyes, Raven chose instead to focus on the task at hand, rather than relax. They had a job to do, and letting your guard down in a warring nation like Britania was just _asking_ for trouble.

"Where are we supposed to go again?"

_'Meh, what a killjoy..._

But Naruto only shrugged, instead turning in the direction of the shipyard, where countless people were milling about.

"That way, I guess. We're supposed to be looking for the-

The distinctive clicking sound of a loaded gun was their only warning as the portal closed behind them with a sharp clap. It was so sudden, that even had they the time needed to react, it still wouldn't have been enough.

"Don't move!"

They were suddenly surrounded by soldiers, each bearing a rifle, pointed squarely at them.

They'd been expected.

The two exchanged a glance.

"Was this what you had in mind?" Raven muttered under her breath.

"Not exactly." Came the reply. "I thought it'd be alot worse-ow."

He gave her a deadpan stare as she elbowed him in the gut. He didn't feel a thing, thanks to his armor, but Raven winced in pain, waving her throbbing hand about in an attempt to ease the pain somewhat.

"Hey! I said don't move!"

The soldiers must've parted to make way for someone, for he soon felt the cold muzzle of a silencer pistol pressed to the base of his skull.

"One more word mystery man, and I'll blow your head off, get it?"

He didn't have to look, the voice alone made her identity _obvious_.

"We're just here to collect a bounty."

"First, take off that mask." She demanded, still glaring intently at Naruto, waving the pistol at him threateningly. "Then turn around, slowly, and let me see your _real_ face."

"Very well." The blond replied, reaching up to the skull facet covering his visage. "But only if you and your men promise not to shoot me or my partner on sight."

....Fine." She replied after a moment, barking an order to her soldiers. "Stand down!"

With a few grumbles, the rifles were lowered, but instead of dropping the guns, each soldier now pointed their barrel squarely at Raven, hemming her in within a fence of cold, unforgiving artillery, whilst they were forcibly marched to a nearby warehouse.

Almost immediately, his nose picked up the scent of blood, rising from within like smoke.

Naruto stiffened slightly at this, realizing that if they went in there right now...

They weren't coming back out.

"Now take it off."

Halting abruptly, slowly, he did so, reaching to his face, pulling away the mask, allowing it to dissolve in a swirl of dark energy.

"Satisfied?"

A small gasp escaped her lips when she saw the spiky shock of blond hair, hanging over into his matchless sapphire blue eyes, and heard his now normal voice. He'd gotten a slight scar across his nose since they'd last seen each other, but there was absolutely no mistaking his identity.

Everyone came to an abrupt halt.

"Y-You?!"

"Ah, we meet again." He recognized her as the pilot who'd nearly killed him before. Yet he still did as she said, not moving a muscle, but seconds later, _another_ sound was heard, that of a gun pressed to _her_ head, this one cocked and fully loaded.

A new voice now spoke. "Kallen, I suggest you tell your men to put down _their _weapons _now_. After all, my trigger finger's feeling a little _twitchy_ today, and you know we hunter's don't like it when someone points a gun at our partners'."

"Samus." Naruto smirked slightly. "Perfect timing."

He couldn't see her face behind the green visor of her helmet, but she sounded pleased to see him as well, even though she refused to look away from her target.

"You're late."

"Tch." The woman lowered the weapon, and Raven now turned to see the identity of their attacker. Imagine Raven's surprise when she beheld a slender young woman of nineteen, glaring at the two of them, steely blue eyes, narrowed to slits. She wore a pilot suit of course, but instead of the traditional helmet, her shoulder length red hair was styled in a spikey style, with a red headband keeping it up.

"So it _is_ you." She repeated herself, glaring at Naruto intently.

"You two...know each other?" Raven didn't recognize her, that much was obvious, and quite frankly, Naruto seemed annoyed by it.

"Yes," He began, "She's tried to kill me at least a dozen times, and I-

"And _I'd_ appreciate it if we discussed this inside and away from prying eyes." Finished Samus coldly, glaring at Kallen's troops. "That is, unless you have other ideas and want your precious Lelouch to know where we are?"

"Fine." Grumbled the one known as Kallen, trying her best to control her seething temper. "Still, of all the people to take this bounty...why _him_?"

"You can talk later." Samus interrupted curtly, beckoning to the door with her beam arm. "Not another word until we're inside."

**KEEP VOTING ON THE POLL PEOPLE!**


	4. Legacy

Upon entering the warehouse, Naruto was surprised to find an elaborate mish mash of generators, consoles, Hi def plasma screens, and other high tech listening and recording equiptment strewn about the hideout. They received some glances upon entry, but no one made any attempt to bar their path.

"Nice setup." He muttered aloud.

"Isn't it?" Samus replied, gesturing to the expanse of gear as they were led to a nearby room. "At least its better than yours."

"You wanna bet?" He gave his fellow hunter a glare as they entered, with Kallen still leading the way. "Raven's helped me touch the place up a bit."

"Oh?" Samus turned her attention to the shorter girl. "That's right, I forgot about you for a moment there."

"Same here." Raven replied blandly, more than used to Samus's aloof attitude by this point.

What awaited them was a well furnished room, clearly designed for the crew's lounging purposes, as judged by the Sofa and the magazinesthat were haphzardly scattered about. Taking a seat between Naruto and Raven, Samus reached up to her helmet, unfastened it, exposing the long ponytail, and exposing the shrew, inqusitive features of her face.

"So, before we get down to business, how exactly do you two know each other?" Kallen asked at last, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I'd rather know who I'm working with, before I tell you what you're going to do."

The two exchanged a look, and Naruto was the one to speak.

"Well, we actually met before I even became a bounty hunter....

--

_(Flashback)_

"Go go go!" He waved, shoving the last Marine onto the Pelican, then whirling about to force blast a nearby Jackal into paste, throwing his crushed remains into a trio of grunts, and ending it with a plasma grenade. "Move it soldier!"

"But sir," The man tried to turn around, but the man slammed the hatch shut in his face, ending the discussion.

"Sir?" He banged through the glass, but only received a brief salute in reply.

"That the last one?" The pilot shouted, looking over his shoulder for confirmation, but he was surprised to find that the man he expected to see...

Wasn't there.

Realization dawned in his eyes as the repulsors fired, and the craft took off.

"Hold it! We forgot the chief!"

The Spartan ripped off his helmet and exposed his face, revealing his blond hair, and nodding once in affirmation, his blue eyes speaking volumes.

"Go! Move out! That's an order!"

He snapped a salute to the hunter in turn.

Turning his gaze to the covenant dropships in orbit, the blond exhaled, closing his eyes and raising both hands up as if begging for mercy. Seconds later, those hands closed into fists, and with an earth shattering quake, down they came, crashing to the ground behind him. Unbenknownst to the Covenant, well, they probably knew now, there were two Spartans that had survived the incident.

There was the Master Chief, eons away from the colonies, and well, him, just Chief, to most of his men.

His very first mission, to rescue prisoners, had ended in disaster. Bad intel, betrayal, and a series of traps had laid waste to the five hundred strong infiltration team he'd brought to this desolate planet, the planet he was destined to die on.

He looked on with trepidation as the ship got airborne, headed for the skies...

Then at last, rocketed to the freedom of open space, gone from sight.

But at least he'd accomplished the objective.

"Damn, I'm such an idiot." He muttered to himself, surveying the massive army rolling towards him, the thunder of their boots a dull, throbbing in his ears. As one roiling mass, they crested the hill, paused, and saw him. "These Covenant bastards _are_ crazy...

"OOOOOOH!"

With a war cry, they descended charging headlong with renewed vigor, heedless of the blizzard. Huge, hulking Hunters lopped amonst the cadre of Grunts and Jackals, dotted with Elites, the very best of the Alien force, covered in a multicolor of different hues. But what made his soul shake, were the six foot tall, hulking animals know only as Brutes, known for their furious berserk rages, and immense strength.

One exhausted super-human against a fighting force of ten thousand strong, healthy, psychotic religous warriors, all hellbent on his destruction.

Screwed didn't even begin to describe it.

_'I've accepted my death.'_

But he wouldn't go to hell alone.

Pulling the trigger from the folds of his sleeve, the grim line of his jaw twisted into a smirk as he depressed the trigger.

"Now...burn."

KABLAM!

The mines detonated as one, consuming hundreds in the vortex of flame, swirling about the hillsides, catching the gasoline soaked grass, ringing him in within the fires itself. Screams of the victims assaulted his ears, but he ignored them, instead dipping back into the resevoir of light that was the Force, drowning himself in the mysterious energy he'd always been blessed, always known from birth.

_'Just...a little more..._

Thr fire twisted with his will, swarming over the attackers, burning few, devouring many as the fires of hell ripped into the enemy. Clenching a hand into a claw, the heat blasted across the frozen field in Some couldn't even scream, their lungs burnt and blackened long before the life left their eyes.

Some Elite these guys were, screaming like infants and pissing there pants from a little bonfire such as this.

Sagging the blond clutched at his chest as the technique took its toll.

"Ah, shit...

They wouldn't be here for at least another minute, so he'd best make good use of it.

Picking himself off the ground, he staggered, slapped on his helmet, rose and began the preparations. First, after remounting the two guns, he switched the turrets to auto target, meaning they would shoot any thing that so much as twitched, were they to pass before their barrels.

Himself included.

With a shuddering clank, the twin guns rose from their mounted base, clicking and whirring as they took aim. Ignoring the insistent beep of the motion sensors, the spartan ran past the cache of ammo , hastily preparing the trio of mortars he had left.

Much to his annoyance, only one was still salvageable, the other two reduced to melted hunks of steel.

"Sonova bitch." He muttered, setting up his last anti-air weapon.

A loud wail rushed over him, the distinctive howl of a Banshee, coming across in a strafing run.

Hot plasma scorched the ground, wiping out the first turret, and a good quarter of his supplies.

Snarling, the blond lashed out in retaliation. The Banshee bucked and heaved suddenly, an invisible hand wrenching the aircraft from the sky, slamming it into the ground, and flipping it on its side. But this was not without efforts, for his heart clenched from the streinous effort. Ignoring it,squeezing down, he popped the cockpit, tossing the pilot clear out of its safe confines, and throwing him down upon the ground.

The elite blinked for a second, saw the spartan, and roared a challenge, activating its beam sword, then performing a few precise swipes as if to boast of its spartan saw this spit a curse, and reached for the first thing within reach, a metal pole.

The Elite laughed, and surprised the human by abruptly tossing down his sword, and beckoning with both hands, deliberately leaving itself wide open.

"Come demon! Your life ends here!"

Clearly it meant to come at him in physical combat, but in his current state, this was suicide.

Muscles screaming in protests, the spartan _heaved_ the beam at the Elite, who, with a snarl, rolled aside, spitting furiously as he came up into a crouch, opting to reach once again for its weapon, but the spartan jumped forward, kicking the saber from its fingers. Pressing his advantage, he made to stomping upon its multi fingered hand, which now suddenly twisted about, grabbing the human by his ankle and dragging him down to the dirt.

It received a hard right hook for its efforts.

Roaring, the alien pulled a thin dagger from somewhere on its armor, stabbing at the dirt where he'd been a moment ago, for the Spartan had already rolled away. Now the knife became the pinacle of their struggle, with each trying to dig the blade into his enemy's chest, but failing miserably when a stray plasma shot fromt he approaching army batted the combat knife away.

Seething in idignation, the Elite reached to its belt, only to for the Spartan to headbut him, breaking some of the armor which covered its head, and cracking his own visor in the process. The two wrestled like this for a moment, each trying to gain dominance over the other the Elite trying to undo his helmet and strangle him, whilst the Spartan was more focused on trying to crush the beast's own thick neck.

But when neither could achieve this grisly goal, the Spartan surprised the Elite by seizing his wrists, forcing them both to their feet, and upon doing so, _tossed _the invader over his shoulders. Scrambling up, the warrior tried to rise and continue their bout-

But less than a second later, it felt something stuck to his face.

The spartan had to be smiling behind his helmet, for he now tossed a grenade up and down in his palm.

"Tag. You're it."

Too late, the elite saw its own grenade, sticking to its helmet. Panicking it tried to unfasten the adhesive that held the sparking orb fast, but its fumbling fingers were too slow, and it simply didn't have enough time. With a flash of azure flame, the alien was no more, and neither were its hands, as its smoking corpse collapsed to the ground in a heap.

However, the struggle had taken time, and in that time, the flames had been put out, with the army fast approaching, coming at him in a headlong run. Inhaling deeply, the Spartan withdrew into himself, determined to at least take out a Hunter or two before death.

They were nearly upon him now, and the spartan reached down to claim the beam sword, while he hefted a grenade with the other, smirking behind the helmet.

"C'mon then!"

Tossing the grenade like a baseball, it wedged itself squarely in the jaw of the first Elite, detonated, taking down twelve of the attackers in a spray of shrapnel. A quick burst of shots from the assault rifle downed several more, as the spartan became to step back, exhausting clip after clip as the enemy continued to close in.

Breaking the face of a jackal with the butt of his rifle, the spartan snatched up its shield, using its reflective pallid surface to deflect a burst of plasma from a Hunters beam cannon. But the shield unit overheated in the process, becoming little more than scrap metal in the process.

They were encircling him now, coming at him in waves.

Grunting, he ignored the pain as a quartet of needles from a Needler, exploding in his shin, piercing through the armored padding, dropped the rifle and shield unit, snatching up a shotgun from the ground, pumping it into the abdomen of a paritcularly stupid Elite, then-

Click.

_'Shit, empty.'_

It had little more than that round left in it, and that had just been wasted on a jackal shield. Backpedaling for all he was worth, the spartan sprinted away from the army, leading them further and further down the canyon, as the firefight had long since carried them bast the frozen fields of the planet's darkside, and was now leading them into the scorching canyon's of the northern side.

Slapping both palms out, he wedged his last shrapnel grenades in the cracks on either side, then ran as fast as his adrenaline could take him. Seconds later, The spartan was nearly carried clear off his feet as the explosion chased him down the gorge, throwing heated rock at his back, and spitting fire at his heels.

But at last, he made it through, just as the rubble gave way, forming a small opening where only a grunt could possibly hope to fit through. Unslinging the carbine strapped to his back, the Spartan checked the ammo, and prepared himself to wait, and not a second later, the first grunt appeared.

Pop.

One down, as a hail of bullets split it wide open. Now it'd be easy to pick them off one by one, until there weren't any-

A dull rumbling attracted his attention far too late.

There, its cannon pointed directly at him...

A Wraith.

White filled his vision as the plasma blast catapaulted him into the air.

He hit the ground with a dull crack, rolled to his feet, looked for a target,

"RARGH!"

From nowhere, a pair of hands dragged him down, pinned him, and a hammer was raised to his head.

"Kill the Demon!"

However, mere moments before said Brute could smash his head in-

WHUMP!

An overflow of plamsa slammed into the berserker, throwing the Brute clear off his feet and into his fellows. The Covenant forces turned as one, and beheld a figure clad in a thick suit of armor, her beam weapon smoking with steam, standing atop a nearby ridge.

"Eeeh!" Squeaked a grunt. "Another demon-urk!"

The green visor of her helmet stared coldly down at them from the ledge, as the alien fell, missing his head, replaced by a smoking hole. Clearly the stranger meant business. Now a trickle of fear could be seen, as another man, wearing what a helmet with a T-shaped visor, and what looked like silver armor, across his chest, appeared to her right.

Then another, and another, and another, until countless men, similair to the first, could be seen, lining the crater in which the spartan had fallen. Each one was armed to the teeth with various weapons, ranging from rockets to blaster pistols, and outnumbering the Covenant forces ten to one.

They seemed to look to her for confirmation, and in response, she cocked the barrel of her weapon, pointing it forward in a clear signal of:

"CHARGE!"

_(End Flashback)_

--

"And ever since then, I've been a bounty hunter." Naruto finished with a small grin. "I had to payback Jango and Samus, and somewhere along the way, I guess I became what we call Mando. **(Mandalorian)**

Kallen felt a bead of sweat run down her face.

"Damn, no wonder I lost to you last time."

Raven was left in quiet wonder, viewing Naruto in a different light.

_'A spartan? One of those super soldiers? I've heard of them, but I never knew he was-_

"So? Do you want our help or not?" Samus pressed impatiently. "We don't have all day."

"I'd like to say 'not'," Kallen began with a scowl, "But I guess I don't really have any other choice, do I?"

"No, you don't." Samurs argued, drumming her fingers impatiently across the tabletop. "Now which is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Kallen exhaled.

"Fine. You're hired, all three of you. I'll explain the details of your mission, and just what it is you're guarding."

**Next time: After the Mission: Capture Monkey D. Luffy?!**


	5. Secrets can kill

As Kallen rattled of the details of their cargo, Raven found herself deep in thought, peering at Naruto intently, the words going in one ear and out the other.

_'Naruto...just what are you?'_

If he really was a Spartan, then not only did this mean that he was _different_, but it added a host of different questions. If he really was one of the famed elite super soldiers, then what on earth was he doing as a bounty hunter?

It made her realize just how little she knew him.

Admittedly, she now knew even _less_ about his past.

So he'd become a spartan at age fifteen, that only made her wonder what he'd done with the last four years of his life, leading up to that hellish mission that ultimately made them an inseperable pair, the dynamic duo.

But oh, how little she knew!

To gain the power known as Vizard, you had to die, at least once, Raven knew this for certain. Yet there was no indication or sign of the blond being undead, and he certainly wasn't a ghost, so just what _did_ that make him?

He'd once told her...

"Raven, we all have our secrets. Mine is my past. I'd...rather not talk about it."

Damn these secrets.

--

(Sometime later)

He sat back against the crate, legs dangling over the dock, taking a long pull from the cigarrette, letting the smoke curl into the air before him, along with his sigh. The evening sun reflected in his eyes bellying the dimming of the day's light.

"Damn."

Smoking was a rare treat for him, something the spartan did not often indulge himself in often. Raven would be sure to scold him if she ever caught him doing this, going on and on about how he'd give himself cancer and the like-

But cancer was the least of his worries.

He could tell.

She'd become curious again, the intensity of which so burningly bright, that it hurt just to look at her sometimes.

More than usual.

As if he didn't have enough to worry about.

Flicking his fingers, the mask appeared in his palm, staring up at him.

A dull humming sound pricked at his skull, then:

"You called?"

_The time is fast approaching, apprentice. _The deep, otherwordly voice boomed from within his skull, resonating within his skull, emanating from the mask itself, which stared up at him lifelessly. _When the time comes, fufill your promise, and I will return to you all that you have lost and more._

"Yes, master." Once more, he tried to keep the anger from his voice, but failed in doing so. "I hear and _obey_."

_Oh? You doubt me? _The entity rumbled, amused, yet there was a touch of irritation to its voice, and too late, the blond realized he'd failed to restrain the bite of his tone. _Then perhaps your next assignment should be more_ pleasing _to you?_

"What're you gettin' at?" The blond frowned. "You harm ANYONE and the deal is off."

_'I'm already deadset against this..._

_Yes...perhaps such a thing_ can _be arranged...After all, the two of you were quite young when first you met...Perhaps a visit will set your mind at ease, apprentice._

The hackles on the back of his neck rose.

He couldn't mean-

"Explain. Now."

_I'd rather not. Enjoy my generosity for yourself when you get there, apprentice._

With a cackle, the voice dissapeared, leaving the mask lifeless and dead as ever.

"I see you're deep in thought."

Trying not to show it, the constant dread that clouded his thoughts, Naruto looked to his right, and found that he was no longer alone. There she was, once again without her helmet, still in the suit, though her hair was no longer held back in the ponytail.

"How long have you been there?"

"Just now." She replied, staring at the setting sun. "But for a second there, it sounded like you were talking to yourself again."

"Heh." He smirked bitterly. "Sitting out here for hours can do that to ya."

_'If only you knew. If only..._

"She's sleeping, just so you know." Samus patted him lightly on the shoulder, and he winced at the touch. "She seems pretty upset about something."

"..."

"Did you two fight again?" She peered intently at him refusing to let her fellow blond out of the inquisitive stare.

After another long drag from the cigarette, Naruto nodded wistfully, recalling upon their pillow fight and what had come too damn close to a kiss.

"Yeah, something like that-

A dull rumbling caused the two of them to look up.

"They're here." Naruto muttered with a sigh, only just now noticing the approaching host of Knightmare's in the distance. Rising to his feet, he withdrew the metal sphere from his sleeve, and gave it a firm squeeze.

The huge hunk of machinery behind him rose, its cockpit opening for him, as the Gawain's systems powered up.

"Damnit, this is gonna be a pain in the ass after all."

As the Gawain rose to its full towering height, Kallen emerged from the nearby hatch, scrambling to her feet with speed that bellied her limber build.

"Go get Raven!" Naruto called to Samus, who slapped on her helmet, and went off in the other direction.

"That thing a two seater?" The pilot asked, jerking a thumb to the Knightmare's dual cockpit, whilst Samus went down below to wake Raven.

Naruto frowned, but grabbed onto a nearby rail as an explosion rocked the ship.

"What're you getting at?"

"You take the weapons system, I'll take the wheel!" She shouted back, as the freighter steadied itself, observing his skepticism, and not appreciating any of it. "I'm the better pilot here anyway!"

_'Riiiiight....._

"You gotta better idea, dumbass?!" She snapped, holding her hand out to him.

Biting his tongue, the blond grabbed her wrist, and readied himself to jump the remaining distance that seperated them from the cockpit.

"Hang on!"

_'I'm gonna regret this..._

---

The Gawain was a golden black blur as it darted amongst the fighters, wiping out large swathe's of knightmares in long, wide sweeps of its cannon's, lighting the horizon as its weapons beat the night sky red with the glittering sparks of plasma.

Not a single mech got through.

"You're a pretty good pilot." Naruto remakred in between the fireworks.

"You're not too shabby yourself." Remarked Kallen with a grim smirk, as the cannons silenced another life.

By the time Samus had gotten her ship ready for takeoff, it was already over, the superior knightmare frame had wiped out the enemy.

Entirely.

The mech landed with a bulky clank, and an enthused Kallen jumped out of the cockpit, followed by Naruto, the duo landing smoothly on their feet, despite the long drop to the deck. Raven's brow twitched slightly when she saw that he was standing just a little too close to Kallen, or perhaps that was becauses said pilot just scooted to the side a bit.

"Well, that went better than expected." He managed, giving the redhead a brief nod of gratitude. "You're a pretty good pilot."

"You...did alright."Kallen managed, biting down on her hatred, only to find significantly less of it than before. "B-But you're mission still isn't finished! We're not even halfway to our destination, and-and-

Samus saw the way Raven was fidgeting, and an alarm bell went off in her head.

"Then its decided. We'll each take watch in shifts of two."

"Sounds good." Kallen nodded, before Naruto could voice his own opinion on the matter. "I'll go first, and we'll rotate into pairs from there."

"Fine." Muttered Raven.

"Good." Kallen whispered, countering her.

"Fine!"

"What was that?!"

Naruto and Samus exchanged a glance, rolled their eyes, and headed down below as the bickering began.

--

(An hour later)

Exhausted, yet refreshed from her shower, Raven exited the shower, clad in nothing more than a bathrobe.

Its color was rather unusual for her, for it was not black as would be expected, but a stark, spotless white.

And then she saw him.

For some reason, he'd discarded his kevlar vest, and was now performing a series of situps, all in nothing more than a simple pair of khakis, and a white muscle shirt. The corner of it had rolled up a bit during the excercise, and was the reason she stared.

"That mark on your stomach...what is it?"

"Nothing." Naruto replied, just now noticing her. Almost immediately, he faced away, finished his set, rose , and slipped his flack jacket back on over the undershirt, obscurring the spherical oddity even further as she lost sight of his abdomen. "Just a tattoo."

"One that glow's in the dark?" Raven prodded with a frown.

"It's a special tattoo." He insisted, realizing far too late what this was about. It'd been a long time coming, and now he had to face her on it.

"Tell me the truth." She began, looking him square in the eye. "It's a seal, isn't it? You're a full demon because you have one sealed inside you."

He nodded stiffly.

"Anything else you _forgot_ to tell me?"

"Raven," He eyed her warily, "I thought we talked about this-

"We did," She cut in abruptly, folding both arms across her chest, her beautiful violet eyes a shocking mix of furious misery. "But I wasn't under the impression that you were _lying _to me the entire time, _partner_."

The way she all but _spit _the entire sentence, made him wince. For a moment, silence reigned, and he refused to speak.

But, just when she was ready to turn her back, give up on him, he at last spoke:

"Hey, we all have our secrets. Mine is my past-

That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

All at once her emotions, which she worked so _hard _to control, exploded, denying her control of herself.

"No! Don't you _dare_ give me that tired excuse, not after that!" All at once, tears sprang to her eyes, which had been dry mere moments before. For some reason, she just couldn't control herself. Perhaps it was jealousy, perhaps it was exhaustion, or maybe it was something else altogether, but whatever this strange, haywire emotion was, it broke all the restraints she had in place. "I'm...I'm tired of it! All this secrecy!"

She'd uncrossed her arms by now, and her hands sparked with violent pyschic energy, lending the air about her an almost visible shimmer. The desire to curse him was overwhelming, even more so to throw her partner halfway across the room, even if he hadn't done anything to anger her. "If you don't trust me then just say it!"

"..."

"Naruto!"

_"I_ do _trust you."_ He wanted to say. _"More than you know."_

But how could he tell her _that? _Despite the year of their partnership, she was still a complete stranger, even to him. He knew she loved poetry, her favorite color was indigo, and being a half demon, she wasn't really a people person.

But sadly, that was about it.

Outside the job, they had so little in common.

So they both had demon blood in their veins.

Did that really mean anything?

No, he couldn't let that happen.

"It's none of your concern." He finally replied, his tone lacking its usual charm, instead replaced by a cold indifference that she'd never seen before. "You may have shared your life story with me, but that doesn't entitle me too-

His head twisted to the side, just as her hand flew out, her fingertips grazing his face, where the scar lay.

Instinct, born from all those hellish years, kicked in, flooding him with rage and adrenaline. Voices, images memories, all those painful events that he'd suppressed roared to the surface, and though his mind screamed:

"Don't!"

Still he lashed out with such _fierceness,_ moving with such speed, that the blond _knew, _he just _knew_ he wouldn't be able to stop in time, despite his best efforts and willingness to do so.

Slap.

He hit her so _hard_ that stars flew before her vision, and left his own hand numb. Stunned, Raven, reached to the red handprint throbbing upon her left cheek, unable to believe she'd been smacked with such force, and by _him_ of all _people_.

Furious, the heroine lashed back at him, only to feel an immense _force_ pinning her down. Cold, matchless sapphire blue eyes stared her down, not daring her to retaliate, but begging her to cease her efforts, as he lowered his hand.

Slowly, she felt her entire face heat a deep scarlet, and she began to tremble, shaking all over, despite her best efforts to control herself. Tears, hot stinging tears, dripped from her eyes, down her face, refusing to be held back any longer.

"Sorry." He looked away.

A small hiccup escaped her lips, and then all control was lost to her. Squeezing her eyes shut, Raven tried to flip the hood over her head, desperate to hide her face, but her arms refused to move, instead hugging herself tightly, the hiccup becoming a sob, then the trickle became a torrent of tears that spilled freely from her eyes.

"I...don't understand anything anymore!"

"Sorry." He repeated. In one fluid movement, he'd knelt down to hold her, wrapping her trembling frame in warm, strong arms. The embrace came so suddenly, that the poor thing just broke down, burying her head in his shoulder.

"Why?" She whispered, in a rare moment of vulnerability, still choked with sobs, and so many different emotions, each fighting for control. "Why won't you tell me?"

Sighing, the blond gently stroked her moist hair, still wet from the shower. "I just can't. Not yet." She didn't look it, but it was at times like this, that he realized just how fragile her psyche was.

Jango hadn't taught him how to comfort women, or understand them. But then again, he'd never really had the time to, what with being killed by a jedi and all.

Samus had been some help in that department, and he _was_ on more of a friendly basis with his fellow hunter, but try as he might, he just couldn't even think of her felt like more of a big sister to him, and kissing your sister, no matter how hot she was...

Just felt weird.

His time with Ino didn't serve much example for him either, but those three years had been (arguably) the best years of his life. Granted, their work had taken them to entirely opposite ends of the galaxy, not to mention they'd be shot if anyone were to see them together...

But on the rare occasion when he could spend just a _day_, a measely twenty four hours in her prescence, he'd never felt so _alive_.

She'd been a strong girl, a true Mando, ever since Jango introduced them to each other, and one hell of a fighter. She'd never cried, at least he'd never _seen_ her cry, and whenever he came home, _if_ she was there, she'd be there to greet him with a warm smile.

When work allowed it, of course.

_'Damn..._

Even now, just the thought of her, even in death, took his breath away. Unbidden, a sense of rage wormed its way into his heart. It wasn't right, for her to die like that, to be ripped away from this world by that bullet, and protecting Raven, their bounty of all things!

But then he realized this _was_ Raven, the same, trembling girl he now held in his arms, human, like anyone else. Like or not, Raven was-was-

Really all he had right now.

A sense of Deja vu washed over him as he tried his best to console her, the sobs slowly growing quieter, whilst she withdrew into herself, regained control over her wayward emotions, and slowly returned to he normal self.

This had happened once before, comforting someone, but granted, he'd been so much _younger_ then. Before he'd joined the military, before he became a spartan, before all of this. Back then it'd been more innocent, without the constand danger of dying at any second.

Back when he had nothing, nothing at all to call his own, it was so much simpler.

So long ago.

But those times were gone.

"I'm so sorry, Raven."

"If you were sorry, you'd just tell me." She muttered, once more in control of herself, yet neither did she let go. " I know I'm not really the right person to say it, but you havebe more open." Nor did she make any effort to disentangle herself from him, his hands, resting upon her hips, pulling her into him, inhaling deeply his scent, a mixture of testosterone and sweat.

She gripped him tightly stifling another unexpected bout of weakness.

"If not, then it'll eat you up inside."

All at once, he released her, slipped on the rest of his armor, and was halfway out the door, all in a heartbeat.

"Its my turn to take watch. Get some rest."

**Next time: "To hate...Is to love.: Next chapter will finish up the mission, then they're off to the One Piece Universe! Get ready for some surprises!**


End file.
